17 News has learned Kern County agreed to settlements in two separate lawsuits: One involving the death a man shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy, the other involving a county probation officer accused of sexually assaulting a teen detainee.
First, the county settled a case of a deadly officer-involved shooting in Wasco.
David Garcia died in January 2015 after a bullet fired by Kern County Sheriff’s senior deputy Robert Reed struck him.
The incident started as a domestic violence call, but ended in the shooting death of Garcia. Reed was cleared of wrongdoing by the sheriff’s office.
The county agreed to pay Garcia’s family $400,00. Details of the settlement were previously unreported.
[WATCH: 17 News Investigation: Secret Settlements]
In another settlement, court records reveal the county settled the case of a Kern County probation officer who was acquitted of criminal charges alleging he sexually assaulted a teen while in Juvenile Hall.
Cesar Navejar’s accuser filed a lawsuit, but details of that settlement are still unknown.
17 News reached out to Chain, Cohen, Stiles, who represented the teen, but have not heard back. We also requested information from the county and we’ll let you know as soon as we learn more.
